HC Deb 05 November 1975 vol 899 cc226-8W
Mr. Gow

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report all grants and loans made under Section 56 of the Transport Act 1968, since the coming into operation of that Act.

Mr. Carmichael

The following table lists the schemes over £1 million on which grants have been made under Section 56 of the Transport Act 1968 since its coming into force on 1st October 1968. Details of the numerous schemes costing under £1 million are not readily available.

Payments on major capital projects are normally spread over a number of years. Outstanding payments under most of the grants have now been absorbed into either the transport supplementary grant, which was introduced on 1st April 1975, or into the compensation paid to the Railways Board under Section 3(1) of the Railways Act 1974 which came into effect on 1st January 1975. Payments under Section 56 have been continued only on those schemes in the table being carried out by the Railways Board on behalf of a passenger transport executive, and by new town development corporations.

TABLE OF GRANTS UNDER SECTION 56 OF THE TRANSPORT ACT 1968
Scheme Original scheme cost (at prices at the time) on which grant approved Rate of grant Per cent. Year in which grant approved
£ million
1. SECTION 56 GRANTS OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS FOR WHICH HAVE BEEN ABSORBED INTO TSG WITH EFFECT FROM 1ST APRIL 1975
London Transport Executive
Extension of Victoria Line to Brixton 19.3 75 1969
Strand Station reconstruction 3.1 65 1972
Bond Street Station reconstruction 3.8 63 1972
Fleet Line Stage I 24.2 75 1971
Extension of Piccadilly Line to Heathrow 22.7 25 1972
Rehabilitation of Bakerloo Line rolling stock 1.2 75 1972
33 trains for Fleet Line 11.8 75 1971
Rolling stock for Piccadilly Line 26.4 75 1972
Conversion of C69 rolling stock to one man operation 1.4 75 1973
Provision of rolling stock for Hammersmith and City and Circle Lines 1.1 75 1972
Resignalling and provision of centralised control Baker Street/Stanmore 4.6 75 1974
Others
Tyneside Metro (construction) 65.5 75 1972
Tyneside Metro (development of rolling stock) 1.5 75 1973
Bradford Interchange 3.4 50 1971
Northampton Bus Station 1.8 25 1975
2. SECTION 56 GRANTS FOR BRITISH RAIL SCHEMES OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS FOR WHICH HAVE BEEN ABSORBED INTO COMPENSATION PAYMENTS UNDER SECTION 3(1) OF THE RAILWAYS ACT 1974 FROM 1ST JANUARY 1975
Great Northern Suburban electrification 27.5 75 1971
Great Northern Suburban resignalling 7.4 40 1971
Feltham resignalling 6.2 75 1971
London Bridge resignalling 13.8 75 1971
London Bridge Station reconstruction 3.9 50 1974
3. SECTION 56 GRANTS TO BRITISH RAIL ON WHICH PAYMENT IS CONTINUING UNDER SCHEDULE 1 TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1974
British Railways Board
Merseyside Terminal Loop 10.4 75 1971
Liverpool Exchange/Central Link 11.2 75 1972
Birmingham International Station 3.4 40 1974
New Towns Development Corporations
Runcorn Busway 2.4 75 1970
Runcorn Busway 1.1 75 1975
Redditch Busway 1.0 70 1971
Redditch Busway 0.7 70 1975
4. SECTION 56 GRANTS ON WHICH PAYMENT COMPLETED
London Transport Executive
30 trains for Northern Line 8.8 75 1972
British Railways Board
Southern Region rolling stock 13.1 75 1972
5. SECTION 56 GRANT TO OTHER BODY UNDER SCHEDULE 1 TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1974
Isles of Scilly Steamship Company
Replacement of ferry 2.0 Repayable grant 1975
6. SECTION 56 GRANTS UNDER £1 MILLION
Full details are not readily available. Such schemes do include the following:
Merseyside Docks and Harbour Board
Reconstruction of landing stage £315,000 50 1971
International Hover Services Limited
Purchase of 3 hovercraft for Thames service Grant not exceeding £75,000 1973
General Estates Co. Ltd.
New engines for Southampton Ferry £6,350 50 1969